1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Found In Barn

What would you do if you opened a rickety-old barn door, and there, untouched by human hands for decades, was a documented 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge—one of the most collectible coupes in muscle-car history?

We will let you ponder that question for now and tell you that the photos in this feature are real. Here’s the backstory.

Some 25 years ago or more, this 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge traded ownership, and its new (and current owner) put it in the safest place on his property he could find—a cow barn. He planned on restoring it, but his out-of-state job was an excuse to procrastinate, and the years passed and passed and passed.

What havoc does 25 years in a cow barn wreck upon a muscle car? According to the owner’s uncle (both men prefer that their names and the location of 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge are not disclosed to the public), The Judge is covered up to the rockers in mud and cow manure, and rat excrement litters both its exterior and interior.

“I hope he will get to it sometime, but I can tell you [it won’t be anytime] in the near future,” the uncle says.
So let’s go back to the question. What would you do if you were the first person to discover this 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge in its location and in the condition it is in?

2/8What’s behind the barn door? Sakes alive, it’s a ’69 GTO Judge—one of 6,833 produced that model year and one of the hottest collector cars in the muscle-car hobby today.

3/8Original Ram Air callouts indicate this Judge is likely powered by a 366hp Pure-Pontiac Ram Air III 400.

4/8The Judge’s original airfoil-style spoiler looks like it has survived, despite its less-than-ideal storage conditions. The Rally IIs haven’t turned since the ’80s.

5/8Here’s the down and dirty. Look down and see how dirty The Judge is. That’s mud, cow manure, and rat excrement up to the rockers.

6/8With a Caterpillar standing watchful guard, The Judge still calls out its identity on its damaged fender.

7/8The Judge’s owner says that he will restore it someday, but it’s been sitting in this barn for 25 years.

8/8The rolled up windows have kept the cows from nibbling on the interior, but not the rats. Check out the rally gauges with in-dash tachometer and shifter. Hey, this thing is a four-speed!